Customer Reviews

Woman of Valor: Margaret Sanger and the Birth Control Movement in America

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I've just finished reading this book for a women's history class. I found it hard to put down. It's a shame that it is out of print, as Margaret Sanger's life story, and her struggle for the reproductive rights of women and female autonomy, make for enlightening reading. Ellen Chesler put in an enormous amount of work, documenting every detail, and weaving the whole into a very readable book. I would definitely recommend this to any reader, not only those interested in the empowerment of women, but also those NOT interested in it, since it might change their minds! Definitely an important work, and an important woman, for gaining an understanding of how the 20th century has been shaped.

One thing that you have to realize is that Sanger was attempting something that required necessary evils. Sanger made many sacrifices in order to foster the female rights movements, one which included allying herself with people that she may have not agreed with, yet knew were morally corrupt. You can see a very blatant and obvious comparison with most politicians nowadays.....if you want to accomplish something revolutionary, and break the thick self-perpetuating mold of social construction, you have to go against your true beliefs sometimes. You have to look at her long time accomplishments in order to create an opinion of the woman. Yes, her eugenicist empathy was completely out of line, but she would have never gained support at the time if she hadn't appeased certain big dogs who required it. She was a victim of circumstance...in my opinion....but she was trying to help millions of women who were the true victims of circumstance, many of which had died from self-performed abortion....ultimately it's your call. Obviously the rights of women and African Americans are still far from where we'd like them to be...but because of Sanger women have gained the inspiration and motive that they lacked beforehand.

It's a long biography, thoroughly researched. For that I'm grateful. I know I can rely on the information here. But, it does get to be a bit tedious of a read. Fortunately, the drive, dedication and determination of Ms. Sanger comes through all the minutia. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but seldom indifferent, we pretty much find out who this woman was. Certainly she was a product of her times, as are we all, but also a champion of a most basic human right, to be free to control our own reproductive lives. I'm so glad to know Margaret Sanger and to have developed a deeper understanding of how precious reproductive freedom is.

This was a great biography of an amazing woman whose life saw and shaped the evolution of the birth control movement. The book was well researched, and the addition of so many pictures brought the book to life.

The book is fairly long so it took me awhile to read but it was worth it. The whole life of Margaret Sanger was covered. Both her personal and public life was explained and shown. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the birth control movement or Margaret Sanger. The book offers a great deal of information about both.

I don't understand how Margaret Sanger, beloved of Hitler, friend of the KKK, prominent eugenicist, and hero to people advocating the extermination of African-Americans, sick people, and the poor, can be given the title "Woman of Valor."
The author left out very important details about Sanger's life to justify her glorification. ELLEN CHESLER should be condemned for her praise of one of the most dispicable people to ever walk the earth. What's next? "Man of Valor: Adolf Hitler." Yeah, I'll be looking forward to Ellen Chesler's next book... I'm sure she'll leave out the whole jewish thing and just focus on his vegetarianism.